Tell Your Story

Before Reaching Out:

Please consider whether sharing will re-traumatize you, whether you’ll have supports in place to debrief after we meet, as well as the implications of having your name and likeness on the Internet with your story (once something is on the Internet, it’s hard to remove it completely). Your safety is of utmost importance, and if you share your story, I want you to feel proud of it.

I do not screen for specific kinds of stories. I believe everyone who identifies as a suicide attempt survivor deserves to be heard.

In Order to Participate:

You must be:

18 or over (no exceptions);

willing to use your full name and likeness;

willing to sign a model release when we meet (click to download a sample for reference);

willing to have your voice recorded;

at least one year out from your most recent attempt.

The Process

If I’m traveling to your area, I will contact you in advance of my arrival to schedule a time to meet. I always schedule in advance, without exception. This allows time for both of us to emotionally prepare.

When we meet, it takes 2-2.5 hours for the interview and portrait. I always record audio and, with your blessing, I may film the interview. The interview, itself, is unstructured. To prompt you, I will ask your name, age, what you do (to be interpreted loosely), where you’re from, and your story, as you see fit to tell it. At the end of the interview, I might prompt you to elaborate on something you mentioned in your story, and I will almost always ask you if anything good came out of your attempt, as well as whether suicide is still an option for you.

Immediately after the interview, we will go outside to make the portrait. Please come to the interview camera ready. The portrait almost always includes the chest and head in the frame. Avoid wearing tops that are solid black or white, or spaghetti straps, text, or bold prints.

If you need to cancel for any reason, including feeling anxious about the interview, please let me know as far in advance as possible. I will not judge you. I will, however, be upset if you don’t communicate with me and/or don’t show up at our scheduled time, because I try to be as courteous and respectful as possible and expect to be treated similarly in return.

Tell Your Story

Name

Age

Email

Phone

I won’t call unless I absolutely have to, but it’s necessary info to have on-hand.

Nearest Metro Region

City

State/Province

Country

Are you willing to be filmed?

Yes

No

Not Sure

Website

Not required.

Twitter Handle

Not required.

Please tell me briefly about you, the circumstances leading up to your attempt, what your life looks like now, and any other pertinent information. Please do not include graphic descriptions of your suicide attempt(s).

How did you hear about us?

Want to support Live Through This?

Live Through This is made possible in part by donations from incredible humans like you. If the project moves you and you have even a single dollar to spare, please consider donating. Every dollar donated goes straight back into the project. These funds allow for gear, web real estate and hosting, travel associated with the project, professional fees, conference attendance, and more.

For more ways to support Live Through This, be sure to check out the store, join in on the #STAY campaign by sharing a picture of you in your Live Through This gear, and subscribe to our mailing list!

Live Through This is a series of portraits and true stories of suicide attempt survivors. Its mission is to change public attitudes about suicide for the better; to reduce prejudice and discrimination against attempt survivors; to provide comfort to those experiencing suicidality by letting them know that they’re not alone and tomorrow is possible; to give insight to those who have trouble understanding suicidality, and catharsis to those who have lost a loved one; and to be used as a teaching tool for clinicians in training, or anyone else who might benefit from a deeper understanding of first-person experiences with suicide.

More Information

Tax-deductible donations are made possible by Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization, which sponsors Live Through This. Contributions for the charitable purposes of Live Through This must be made payable to Fractured Atlas only and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

Please Stay

If you’re hurting, afraid, or need someone to talk to, please reach out to one of the resources below. Someone will reach back. You are so deeply valued, so incomprehensibly loved—even when you can’t feel it—and you are worth your life.

If you don’t like talking on the phone, you can reach the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741-741. If you’d like to talk to a peer, warmline.org contains links to warmlines in every state. If you’re not in the U.S., click here for a link to crisis centers around the world.

Live Through This is dedicated to the lives of so many friends and family members lost to suicide over the years. If you would like to add the name of a loved one to this list, please email me.

Live Through This is dedicated to the lives of so many friends and family members lost to suicide over the years. If you would like to add the name of a loved one to this list, please email me.